Heat exchange device



May 14, 1935. c, T. WALTER HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE F'iled July 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l fig. 2

ATTORNEY May 14, 1935. C. f. WALTER 2,001,084

HEAT EXCHANGE D'EV-[CE Filed July 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY I holders and the scraper blades inwardly for maintaining the scraper blades in contact with a hollow cylindrical rotor 20. The springs I9 by forcing the scraper blades inwardly to maintain the scraper blades in contact with the rotor 20 automatically take up the wear andthe springs may be of sufficient strength to cause the scraper blades to properly function until they are worn down to such an extent as to require renewal. When, however, slots are employed in the scraper blades the scraper blades may be adjusted with reference to the scraper blade holders, as will be readily understood.

The hollow cylindrical rotor constitutes a refrigerating or heat exchange element and it is arranged Within the casing I concentric therewith and it is of a diameter to provide a relatively narrow space 2| between it and the inner face 22 of the outer casing I for causing the product to be chilled to completely envelop the rotary heat exchange member ina relatively thin sheet so that the velocity of travel of the product through the chilling device may be comparatively rapid. The outer casing is provided adjacent one end at the top with an inlet pipe 23 by means of which the fluid product to be chilled is introduced into the chilling device and the said casing I is provided at the bottom adjacent the other end of the device with an outlet pipe 24 for the discharge of the chilled product. The material is pumped into and out of the casing and as any suitable pumping means may, of course, be employed, illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. The ends 25 of the rotary cylindrical heat exchange element arespaced from the 'ends 26 of the casing I and in practice the inner face of the casing and the outer face of the rotor will be machined. The rotor or rotary heat exchange element is provided at its ends with hollow trunnions 21 and 28 which are journaled in tubular extensions 29 of the housing I.

The tubular extensions 29 are divided horizontally into upper and lower sections similar to the body portion of the housing or casing I and are provided with horizontal flanges 30 forming extensions of the flanges 4 and 5 of the upper and lower sections 2 and 3 of a casing and rmly clamped together by bolts 3|. The tubular extensions 29 are provided with suitable bearings 32 and with an oil ring 33 located at the inner end of each bearing and arranged in an annular groove 34 of the tubular extension 29 'and adapted to prevent liquid from the interior of the chilling device from seeping into the bearing and also for preventing the lubricant of the bearing from entering the interior of the casing I.

The refrigeration medium which may consist of brine or any other refrigerant is pumped into the hollow rotary cylindrical refrigerating element through an inlet pipe 35 and is discharged from the refrigerating or heat exchange element through an outlet pipe 36, a suitable stuflng box 31 being provided at each end of the chilling device for connecting the rotary heat exchange member with thel inlet and outlet pipes.

The hollow cylindrical heat exchange rotor may be driven by any. suitable mechanism, a gear wheel 38 constituting an element thereof being shown keyed to the hollow trunnion 21 which is preferably of greater length than the hollow trunnion 28 to provide a space forthe mounting of the driven gear 38.

When the hollow cylindrical rotor is rotated in the operation of the chilling device any frozen product which may adhere to the rotor and tend to insulate the same and interfere with the efficiency of the chilling device is scraped from the outer surface of the rotor by the scraping blades and the chilling device is maintained at all times a1; maximum efiiciency. The heat exchange takes place at the outer surface of the hollow cylindrical rotor, the rotor being completely enveloped by a relatively thin sheet of the uid product to be chilled. This enables the fluid product to be passed through the chilling device at a velocity which is comparatively rapid and at the same time the uid product is interposed between the heat exchange rotor and the casing so that no refrigeration lossescan take place. For this reason the outer shell or casing need not be insulated, at least for chilling some products for which the discharge temperature may be above that of the surrounding atmosphere. The fluid material circulates freely around the rotor and other portions of the guideways or slots formed by the recesses II and I2. The longitudinal recesses terminate short of the ends of the rotor, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The product as rapidly as it tends to freeze on the surface of the rotor is scraped therefrom by the scraper blades and is immediately replaced by a quantity of unchilled material and while the scraping blades maintain the heat exchange rotor at maximum eflciency they also provide for a rapid operation of the chilling device due to this constant removal of the chilled product from the rotor and the rapid replacing of the chilled product by a quantity of the unchilled material.

The space which may be occupied by the fluid to be chilled is comparatively small and the product being chilled is distributed throughout the entire external area of the heat exchange rotor in a relatively thin enveloping sheet. The scraper blades are readily accessible for replacement or adjustment by the removal of the upper section or half of the casing I.

What is claimed is:

l. A heat exchanger for chilling uid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of the product into and out of the casing, a hollow rotor mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form a narrow intervening space'for enveloping the rotor within a thin sheet of the product to be chilled, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and means operating within the narrow intervening space between the rotor and the outer casing for removing frozen material from the surface of the rotor whereby the same is maintained at maximum eiliciency.

2. A heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of the product into and out of the casing, a hollow rotor mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form a narrow intervening space for enveloping the rotor within a thin sheet of the product to be chilled, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and a scraper blade operating in the narrow intervening space between the rotor and the outer casing and arranged tol remove frozen product from the surface of the rotor whereby the latter is maintained at maximum efliciency and a rapid chilling of the product effected.

3. A' heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passageof the product into and out oi' the casing, a. hollow rotor-mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form a narrow intervening space for Venveloping the rotor within a thin sheet of the product to be chilled, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing'it therefrom, a scraper blade slidably mounted within the casing and operating in the narrow space between the casing and the rotor, and

yieldable means for automatically maintaining the scraper blade in contact with the rotor whereby frozen product is removed from `the surface oi the rotor and a maximum emciency of the latteris maintained. v I

`4.A heat exchanger for chilling iluid prod 'uctsyincluding a cylindrical outer casing pro-l` vided with yan inlet and an outlet for introducingthev product to be chilled into the casing and -forUremoving it therefrom, a hollow cylindrical l heat exchange rotor mounted within the casing concentric therewith and` spaced slightly therefror'nto provide a narrow intervening space between r the cylindrical casing and the rotor,

`means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and spring actuated slidably mounted scraper blades located at opposite sides of the casing and automatically maintained in constant contact with the rotor for removing frozen product therefrom whereby the -heat exchange rotor isl maintained at maximum emciency.

5. A .heat exchanger for chilling fluid products comprising an outer casing provided with a longitudinal guideway, a hollow heat exchange rotor mounted within the casing, `means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor,lmeans for removingit therefrom, said rotor being spaced from the casing to provide a narrow intervening space for they product to be chilled, a slidable scraper blade holder operating in the said guideway and provided with a `scraper blade engaging the rotor for removing frozen product therefrom, and spring means located within the said guideway and actuating y' the scraper blade holder for yieldably and automatically maintaining the scraper blade in its engagement with the rotor.

6. A heat' exchanger for chilling iluid products comprising an outercylindrical casing divided longitudinally into separable sections and. provided with projecting flanges at the margins of the sections, said flanges being provided at their outer portlons'with attaching means and having recesses at their inner portions forming guideways, a hollow heat exchange rotor mounted-within the vouter casing, means for introduc- 'ing a refrigeration medium into the rotor,

means forl removing -it therefrom, scraper blade holders slidable in the guideways of the `said outer casing and provided with scraper blades yoperating in the intervening space between the tering recesses, a, hollow cylindrical rotor mounted within the outer casing and spaced therefrom and provided with an inlet and an outlet for the introduction and removal of a refrigeration medium, scraper blade holders slidably mounted in the recesses of the outer casing and provided with Ascraper blades extending into the intervening space between the rotor and the outer casing, and spring means mounted within the casing and engaging the scraper blade holders for maintainingthe scraper blades in engagement with the rotor.

8. A heat exchanger for chilling iiuid products comprising an outer cylindrical casing having'an inlet and an outlet for the product to be chilled, a hollow cylindrical rotor arranged within the outer casing and spaced therefromat its circumference, the ends of the casing being spaced from the casing to provide an intervening space between the rotor and the outer casing for causing the rotor to be completely enveloped in the product to be chilled,'said casing being provided with a longitudinal guideway tenninating short of the ends of the rotor, a scraper blade located at the said guideway and engaging the rotor for removing frozen product' therefrom, means located within the guideway for slidably mounting the scraper blade and means for maintaining the same constantly in engagement with the rotor.

9. A heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including a cylindrical "outer casing divided horizontally into upper and lower sections and provided at its ends with tubular extensions, means for introducing a iiuid product into the casing, means for removing it therefrom, a hollow cylindrical heat exchange rotor having hollow trunnions journaled in the tubular extensions of the outer casing and forming an inlet and an outlet for a. refrigeration medium, in-

let and outlet pipes for the `refrigeration medium, and stuillng boxes connecting the inlet and outlet pipes with the hollow trunnions.

- 10. A heat exchanger for chilling iiuid products including a cylindrical outer casing divided horizontally into upper and lower sections and 'provided at its ends with tubular extensions, means for introducing a fluid product into the casing, means for removing it therefrom, a hollow cylindrical vheat exchange rotor having hollow trunnions journaled in the tubular extensions of the outer casing and forming an inlet and an outlet for a refrigeration medium, inlet and outlet pipes for the refrigeration medium, and an oil: ring arranged `within each of the tubular extensions of the outer casing and adapted to prevent liquid from the casing seeping into the bearing and for preventing lubricant from entering the interior of the casing. 11. A heat exchanger for chilling iluid products comprising a cylindrical outer casing divided horizontally into upper and lower sections and provided adjacent its ends with inlet and outlet pipes located respectively, at the -top and bottom of the casing, said casing being also provided at its ends with tubular extensions having bearings, a hollow, cylindrical heat exchange rotor located within the outer casing in spaced relation with the same and having hollow trun- :nions journaled in the bearings of the tubular `extensions of the casing and forming an inlet and an outlet for a, refrigeration medium. one of the hollow trunnions being extended and provided with a driven element for rotating the rotor, inlet and outlet pipes, and stuffing boxes pipes with the hollow trunnions.

12. A heat exchanger for chilling iuid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of the product into and out of the casing, a hollow rotor mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intervening space for enveloping the rotor within a sheet of the productfto be chilled, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and means operating within the intervening space between the rotor and the outer casing for removing frozen material from the surface of the rotor whereby the same is maintained at maximum eillciency.

13. A heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of the product into and out of the casing, a hollow rotor mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intervening space for enveloping the rotor within a sheetof the product to be chilled,

means for introducing arrefrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and a scraper blade operating in the intervening space between the rotor and thev outer casing and arranged to remove frozen product from the surface of the rotor whereby the latter is maintained at maximum efllciency and a rapid chilling of the product effected.

14. A heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including an outer casing having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of the product into and out of the casing, a hollow rotor mounted within the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intervening space for enveloping the rotor within a sheet of the product to be chilled, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, a scraper blade slidably mounted within the casv, connecting the last mentioned inlet and outlet ing and operating inthe space between the casing and the rotor, and yieldable means for automatically maintaining the scraper blade in contact with the rotor whereby frozen product is removed from the surface of the rotor and a maximum eillciency of the latter is maintained.

15. A heat exchanger for chilling fluid products including a cylindrical outer casing provided with an inlet and an outlet for introducing the product to be chilled into the casing and for removing it therefrom, a. hollow cylindrical heat exchange rotor mounted within the casing concentric therewith and spaced slightly therefrom to provide an intervening space between the cylindrical casing and the rotor, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, and spring actuated slidably mounted scraperblades located at opposite sides of the casing and automatically maintained in constant contact with the rotor for removing frozen product therefrom whereby the heat exchange rotor is maintained at maximum eiciency.

16. A heat exchanger for chilling iiuid products comprising an outer casing provided with a longitudinal guideway, a hollow heat exchange rotor mounted within the casing, means for introducing a refrigeration medium into the rotor, means for removing it therefrom, said rotor being spaced from the casing to provide an intervening space for the product to be chilled, a slidable scraper blade holder operating in the said guideway and provided with a scraper blade engaging the rotor for removing frozen product therefrom, and spring means located within the said guideway and actuating the scraper blade holder foryieldably andautomatically maintaining the scraper blade in its engagement with the rotor.

CHARLES T. WALTER. 

